The Last Supper- a painting by Leonardo Da Vinci
Who is Leonardo Da Vinci? An artist, scientist, inventor … have been discovered to have scribbled notes on: Anatomy, botany, geology hydraulics, mechanics …was called the scientific genius of the renaissance.
Born in a small Tuscan town of Vinci on April 15, 1452.
Illigitimate son of a peasant girl named Catarina. The father who was a famous notary public in that small town is Piero Da Vinci. The father has 4 wives.
He made 12 very popular paintings in a span of 60 years. During the 15th century he originated the idea of “Earthshine”.
The Last Supper is now housed at the Dominican Monastery in Milan…the fashion capital of the world … where silk is the popular textile.
He developed the idea of the Last Supper for 15 years and started the painting in the year 1495. Finished it in the year 1498. The painting is now at the convent of Sta Maria Delle Grazie.
One of the unfinished work of Leonardo is the sculpture of equestrian for his boss the Duke Ludovico Sforza. Leonardo spent the last year of his life with the king of France and passed away at the age of 67.
Other paintings of Leonardo Da Vinci which up to now are widely appreciated by artist worldwide included; Adoration of the Magi, Virgin on the Rocks Battle of Anghiari, Mona Lisa, Virgin & Child with St. John the Baptist & St. Anne.
A skydiver who made a breathtaking record breaking fly across the English Channel was asked about the design of his flying machine. His answer was, it’s the design he got from the notes of Leonardo Da Vinci.
Lets talk about a little background about the painting of the Last Supper;
Notes on the sketches of the painting were kept and scientists and artist discovered that:
Andrew…. His hands were spread open showing the palms… shrug his shoulders….
Peter …speaks into his neighbours ear…while holding a knife on one hand…
Judas… clutches a money bag….
Faces of the painting were modeled from actual people in and out of Milan…
…Christ was modeled by two men…
Face…. Was that of Count Giovanni…from the household of Cardinal of
Montaro..
Hands… by Alessandro Cassimiro
Judas was modeled by a Milanese criminal who was a very lazy person.
In the painting, the tablecloth, knives, forks, glassware and china were all similar to those of the monks themselves.
The two problems that for centuries had confronted painters of Last Suppers, the isolation of Judas was the one more easily solved by Leonardo . He placed Judas on the same side of the table as all other figures, but cut him off in a psychological aloneness that is far more devastating than the mere physical separation could ever be.
The 12 disciples are divided into two groups of six, with Christ they make a combination of three units.
The traditional interpretation of the painting is that Christ has just spoken the words, ONE OF YOU SHALL BETRAY ME and that Leonardo chose to fix that exact moment for all time. The disciples react to the words with a magnificent display of pose and gesture, revealing the intention of their souls.
Beyond the freezing of one dramatic moment, Leonardo apparently had other, deeper meanings in mind. One of these is Christ central act at the Last Supper, was the institution of Holy Communion.
A mathematician Luca Pacioli, Leonardo’s friend who watched the execution of the painting, wrote of it as a SYMBOL OF MAN’S BURNING DESIRE FOR SALVATION.
That was Leonardo’s interpretation of the Last Supper…..but what really happened..
During the last week before His death Jesus was particularly busy. But on Wednesday He took the day off and rested. On Thursday He sent Peter and John into Jerusalem to prepare for the Passover.
That evening, while Jesus and His disciples were reclining around the table in the large upper room, a strange sadness came over the Savior. Usually a time like this was very joyful, but on that night Jesus knew it was the last supper He would have with His disciples.
It was a custom in those days for a servant to wash the feet of the guests at a feast. Everything has been prepared. The pitcher, the basin, and the towel were ready., but there wasn’t a servant around. And not one of the disciples felt inclined to do the job.
Rising from the table, Jesus took off His outer garment and tied the towel around His waist and began washing their feet. He started with Judas, who had pressed closed to Christ.
When Jesus stooped down and washed Judas’ feet, the disciple almost confessed his treachery right then and there. But pride prevented him, and the old selfish thoughts came back.
John 13:14,15 IF I THEN, YOUR LORD AND MASTER, HAVE WASHED YOUR FEET; YE ALSO OUGHT TO WASH ONE ANOTHER’S FEET. FOR I HAVE GIVEN YOU AND EXAMPLE, THAT YE SHOULD DO AS I HAVE DONE TO YOU.
The disciples caught the idea of what Jesus was doing, and their hearts were melted . Peter even asked Jesus to wash his hands and head too.
JESUS ACT ON THE WASHING OF FEET CAN BE DESCRIBED IN ONE WORD—- that is, HUMILITY
What is humility…. Benjamin Franklin, a scientist and a statesman made a list of character qualities that he wanted to develop in his own life. When he mastered one virtue, he went on to the next. He did pretty well, he said, until he got into humility. Every time he thought he was making significant progress, he would be so pleased with himself that he became proud.
Humility is an elusive virtue. HUMILITY CAN BE SOUGHT BUT NEVER CELEBRATED
.
As we all know, Jesus broke bread with the disciples..and in Luke 22:19 He said,
THIS IS MY BODY WHICH IS BROKEN FOR YOU: THIS DO IN
REMEMBRANCE OF ME.
I was able to read an article written by a protestant minister by the name of Dr. Cirilo Rigos, he presented a very meaningful theological insight about the broken bread. By the way, this minister already passed away and his articles on faith were highly appreciated by Maximo Soliven, the publisher of Phil Star.
He wrote; three things can be said about that broken bread;
First….. IT IS THE SYMBOL OF OUR BROKEN LIFE- -OUR SHATTERED DREAMS AND BROKEN HOPES, OUR BITTER DISAPPOINTMENTS OR WOUNDED PRIDE, THE SORROWS AND TRAGEDIES THAT SAP OUR INNER STRENGTH, AND TO PARTAKE OF THE BROKEN BREAD IS TO SHOW OUR READINESS TO FACE WHATEVER TRIAL WE MAY HAVE IN LIFE.
This method of meeting our problems frontally is what the psychiatrists and psychologists have been trying to advocate. Problems are not solved by pretending they do not exist. When there is a heavy burden in our hearts, what we need is strength equal to our difficulties..and we are all assured in …
1 Corinthians 10:13 .said. that NO TEMPTATION HAS SEIZED YOU EXCEPT WHAT IS COMMON TO MAN. AND GOD IS FAITHFUL; HE WILL NOT LET YOU BE TEMPTED BEYOND WHAT YOU CAN BEAR. BUT WHEN YOU ARE TEMPTED, HE WILL ALSO PROVIDE A WAY OUT SO THAT YOU CAN STAND UP UNDER IT.
Second… THE BROKEN BREAD REMINDS US THAT AS CHILDREN OF ONE
GOD, SHARING IS A VIRTUE.
We are called to break our bread and to share a piece with those who have none.
Philippine population is now approximately…..85M and 35M is on the poverty line.
Sharing as a virtue cannot be cultivated without appealing to the human spirit. One who has more than enough will not necessarily give. Food may satisfy a hungry stomach, but it does not remove the selfishness in the human heart.
SHARING IS NOT THE CONCOMITANCE OF MATERIAL PROSPERITY; IT IS THE MANIFESTATION OF A GRATEFUL HEART.
Third…. THE BROKEN BREAD REMINDS US THAT WE DO NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE. WE NEED THE LIVING BREAD OF LIFE, JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. WITHOUT HIM, EVEN THOSE WHO HAVE EVERYTHING THEY WANT ARE BUT BEGGARS IN THE TRAPPINGS OF A KING.
I recalled there used to be an English congregation here.. one of those pillars of the congregation was Brother Nobels… a Dutch citizen who got married to a Filipina..
He told me one time during our conversation, that one of the original songs common in most protestant hymnals is the title; WE GATHER TOGETHER TO ASK THE LORD’S BLESSING.. THIS IS ALSO INCLUDED IN OUR SDA hymnal..
He is a relative of Alfred Nobel, the philanthropist who invented the dynamite and because of the devastation he made with his invention, shared his proceeds and formed a foundation to give award to those who contributed spectacular feat in any field of study. Brother Nobels told me one time that a song the our church hymnal entitled We Gather Together To Ask the Lords Blessing. With author anonymous is a Dutch revolutionary song;
During the time of King Phillip II of Spain, his kingdom extended up to the Netherlands But the Dutch revolted against Spain. In an effort to regain control of the Low countries, Phillip sent the infamous Duke of Alva with an army to crush the Hollanders. The city of Rotterdam held out for a time., but finally capitulated. The victorious soldiers went from house to house massacring their occupants without regard to age or sex. In one instance several families had taken refuge in one home and were praying for deliverance, all the while wondering how they could cooperate with God to save their lives.
Suddenly one of the young men had an idea. The owner of the house had a goat. Quickly he fetched the animal, slit its throat, and swept the blood under the front door with a broom. From there it flowed down the steps and into the street. When the soldiers reached that particular house, their commanding officer, seeing the blood, said: “Our men have already been here. Let us go to the next house.
In Exodus 12:13 THE BLOOD SHALL BE A SIGN FOR YOU, UPON THE HOUSES WHERE YOU ARE; AND WHEN I SEE THE BLOOD, I WILL PASS OVER YOU, AND NO PLAGUE SHALL FALL UPON YOU TOI DESTROY YOU.
Have you ever wondered how the blood of Jesus Christ saves us today?
Jesus lived a sinless life, and His blood, representing both His life force and the life He lived, stands in place of our sinful lives. It is in this sense that His “blood….cleanses us from all sin…”Christ central act in the Last Supper is the institution of the Holy Communion. That is why our practice of participating in the ritual of the Holy Communion is a reminder of Christ dying for all of us at the cross on Calvary.
THE WONDERFUL THING ABOUT THE PLAN OF REDEMPTION IS THAT WE DO NOT NEED TO UNDERSTAND ALL ITS INTRICACIES. THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO “ TAKE THE CUP OF SALVATION” (Psalm 116:13)
Why the need to partake of the communion service? ……..
Our text said, FORBEARING ONE ANOTHER, AND FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER..IF ANY MAN HAVE A QUARREL AGAINST ANY: EVEN AS CHRIST FORGAVE YOU, SO ALSO DO YE…. Colossian 3:13
For many Christians the practical daily exercise of the divine principle of forgiveness constitutes a vexing problem. How contrary to the inclinations of the natural heart is a noble virtue! Instead of forbearing to retaliate and generously forgiving or overlooking the slanders, slights, and injuries inflicted upon us, we are inclined to resent them hotly, and we plot and plan to take revenge on the perpetrators of these grievous wrongs. When a person feels that he has been dealt a low blow, he is more than likely to exclaim,”I can forgive, but not forget.” Such a spirit is wrong, but the truth is that a very thin line separates forgetting and forgiving. In fact, NO ONE CAN TRULY FORGIVE AND FORGET.
Likewise, for us to forgive is to accept other “travelers” along the pathway of life, including their past lifestyles. FORGIVENESS BRINGS US PEACE AND GRATITUDE AND ENABLES US TO LOVE THOSE WHO INJURED US EVEN TO THOSE WHO WERE UNGRATEFUL.
SINFUL HUMAN BEINGS ARE NOT CAPABLE OF FORGIVING, JUST AS WE ARE NOT CAPABLE OF LOVING WITHOUT THE POWER OF GOD. FORGIVENESS IS A GIFT FROM GOD. ONLY WHEN WE HAVE EXPERIENCED GOD’S FORGIVENESS IN OUR LIVES CAN WE TRULY UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO FORGIVE.
When God forgives He says “ I will remember their sins no more.” Jer 31:34
Before coming to the throne, Louis XII, King of France, had been imprisoned in chains. On becoming a King, he was expected by many to take revenge on his enemies. He then drew up a list of names and placed a cross in red ink opposite many of them. Fearing for their lives, those so indicated fled France. Then the king explained: THE CROSS I DREW BESIDE EACH NAME WAS NOT TO PUNISH. IT IS A PLEDGE OF FORGIVENESS GRANTED FOR THE SAKE OF THE CRUCIFIED SAVIOUR, WHO UPON HIS CROSS FORGAVE HIS ENEMIES AND PRAYED FOR THEM.
According to Archibald Hart; FORGIVENESS IS RELINGUISHING MY RIGHT TO HURT BACK.
We are most like BEAST when we KILL
We are most like MEN when we JUDGE
We are most like GOD when we FORGIVE
If our greatest need had been INFORMATION, God would have sent us an EDUCATOR
If our greatest need had been TECHNOLOGY, God would have sent us a SCIENTIST
If our greatest need had been PLEASURE God would have sent us an ENTERTAINER
But our greatest need was FORGIVENESS, so God sent us a SAVIOR
A HEART THAT WILL NOT FORGIVE IS NOT RIGHT WITH GOD, because it is a heart filled with bitterness, malice and revenge. An unforgiving heart makes it impossible to worship God, because He cannot accept worship from such heart. Some one has said wisely that HE WHO WILL NOT FORGIVE OTHERS BREAKS THE BRIDGE OVER WHICH HE HIMSELF MUST PASS……
When my father in law was gasping for his last breath, He held my hand and uttered the words, PLEASE FORGIVE ME.
According to Lewis Smedes:
FORGIVENESS IS THE ONLY WAY TO HEAL THE WOUNDS OF A PAST
WE CANNOT CHANGE AND CANNOT FORGET.
Forgiveness changes a BITTER MEMORY into a GRATEFUL MEMORY, a COWARDLY MEMORY into a COURAGEOUS MEMORY, an ENSLAVED MEMORY into a FREE MEMORY…When we forgive…. We open the door to an unseen future that our painful past had shut.
We are called to forgive, for the Christian there is no other option.
A little girl was asked what forgiveness is, she gave the following beautiful answer:
IT IS THE ODOR OF THE FLOWERS GIVE OFF WHEN THEY ARE
TRAMPLED UPON.
For the merciful Christian, this odor reaches far, far away even up to the judgment seat of Christ
Are you holding a grudge against anyone? Remember Paul’s words:
AS CHRIST FORGAVE YOU, SO ALSO DO YE
This is my prayer…….
